Randall star wins third straight high jump title

AUSTIN — As Logan Brittain rocked backed to start his run in successfully clearing 6 feet 8 inches in the state Class 4A high jump Friday, the field announcer bellowed the medal winners from the long jump.

“And receiving a third place medal in the long jump is Logan Brittain.”

In those 10 seconds the Randall senior added the final chapter to his remarkable and record-setting high school career.

Brittain’s jump of 6-8 won the high jump, securing his third straight gold medal in the event and placing him in rare air.

Brittain becomes the first Randall athlete, and the first Amarillo-metro athlete to own the title of three-time consecutive state champion in the same event.

The icing for Brittain was the long jump Friday was being conducted at the same time as the high jump.

After being rushed back and forth twice between the two events, he decided this was tiring him out and stopped his long jumps at two instead of six. He won the bronze in his first year competing in the long jump at 22-6.

“This is crazy,” Brittain said of ending his Randall career — he was also all-district in football and basketball — with two medals. “I was a little disappointed I didn’t get the meet record (7-1½). But there was no pressure. I did my best and got the gold medal. It’s awesome.”

Brittain is owner of the Texas Panhandle all-time best high jump of 7-3, which ties him with the nation’s best jump of the year.

The University of Texas signee didn’t disappoint.

Brittain dominated the competition, coming in at 6-4. The 5-foot, 11-inch Brittain cleared 6-4, 6-6 and 6-8 on his first attempts.

At 6-8, Landon Malbrough of Beaumont Central and Jared Lorimier were the two remaining high jumpers in the competition against Brittain. Both bowed out at 6-8.

Brittain had meet officials set the bar at 7-13/4. His first attempt at the 4A state record was the best of his three misses.

“It didn’t feel normal on those jumps for the record but I had good attempts at it,” Brittain said. “I was able to enjoy this year. I had already signed with Texas. I had fun. The day didn’t start off so so good (with the long jump at the same time), but it was a good day. I’m excited to be a three-time state champion in the high jump.”

Randall high jump coach Amy Guston praised Brittain not only for his commitment to hard work and technique, but for his refusing to make excuses about an ankle injury that slowed him the past six weeks.

“Logan will congratulate every kid on every personal record no matter if it’s 5-10 or 6-10,” Guston said. “That says a lot about him and his parents. He was never quite right after the unfortunate slip in Plainview. But that’s tough and that’s the sign of a good athlete the way he gutted it out. He was exhausted from the long jump, but it worked out. The whole point was trying to get him a medal (in the long jump).”

Guston said Brittian might not be the prototypical looking seven-foot high jumper, but she said he thrives under pressure and loves competition.

“We do get a lot of looks,” Guston said. “As a coach, I get a lot of ‘That’s Logan Brittain?’’’

On Friday, in his final time to wear a Randall uniform, Brittain into the Texas Panhandle record books.